1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ventilation/illumination duct which can not only ventilate a confined space, for example, an indoor space, but also can illuminate the indoor space. The present invention also relates to a ventilation/illumination system using the ventilation/illumination duct, and a control method for the ventilation/illumination system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Typically, various ventilation devices and various illumination devices are installed in general houses, large buildings, and factories, in order to ventilate confined spaces, and to provide a certain level of illumination to the confined spaces.
Ventilation devices include a duct for defining a flow passage of air, and a fan unit for sucking outdoor, air into the duct, and discharging indoor air out of the duct. Such a ventilation device may also include a total heat exchanger for recovering a portion of heat energy contained in indoor air.
Meanwhile, illumination devices include lamps electrically connected to electric wires, and adapted to artificially illuminate a confined space. Recently, an optical pipe has been used as an illumination device, to illuminate an indoor space and/or an outdoor space at a certain level. The optical pipe has advantages in that the optical pipe not only reduces loss of light generated from a lamp during propagation of the light because the optical pipe totally reflects the light, but also incurs no generation of heat, and thus, results in no or little danger of fire.
However, the above-mentioned conventional illumination devices and ventilation devices have the following problems.
First, since it is necessary to provide separate spaces for an illumination device and a ventilation device in an indoor space, in conventional cases, there are problems in that the space for installing such facilities in the indoor space is increased, and electric wiring becomes complex. In particular, when an optical pipe is used as the illumination device, the optical pipe should be arranged on the ceiling, independently of a duct of the ventilation device. For this reason, there are problems of an increase in installation space, and considerable difficulty in installation and design.
Second, although the optical pipe and duct should be arranged at most appropriate positions for efficient illumination and ventilation, respectively, the positions may be overlapped with each other. In this case, there is a problem in that one of the illumination and ventilation efficiencies must be reduced because the associated optical pipe or duct should be installed at a position other than the most appropriate position.
Third, the conventional optical pipe is configured to illuminate an indoor space using a separate lamp. However, the lamp is always in an ON state thereof, irrespective of the weather conditions, to illuminate indoor space. For this reason, there is a problem of a considerable increase in power consumption.